Search trends

Search trends

“We need a flexible mindset”

A look inside Andreas Krinninger’s garage is all it takes to see how important flexibility is to him. The President of the Linde MH EMEA operating unit is a keen mountain biker and has no fewer than five bikes at his disposal – he is prepared for any eventuality. The ability to be flexible and to venture into unknown territory is also central to his work. “We have to constantly ask what capabilities our customers require and what new products and services we need to provide,” he says. “We have to continuously re-evaluate things. It’s an ongoing process. This requires a flexible mindset and a profound understanding of the needs of our customers.”

Managing change within an organisation is never easy, and Linde is no exception here. But the KION brand company is currently in a very strong position. It is the most profitable manufacturer of material handling solutions on the market, it has an extensive sales and service network, excellently trained employees, and a very broad, robust and powerful range of products. These are all elements that customers value.

And this should remain the case. “The change we are facing is also a huge opportunity,” says Krinninger. “We have the chance to develop a completely new business model.” In the past, it was enough to offer the best, the fastest and the most reliable trucks. But customers will demand very different solutions in the future. “We want to shape this change and become a provider of complete material flow solutions.”

Differentiating the product through customisation and sustainability

"We have the chance to develop a completely new business model"

Andreas Krinninger

President of the Linde MH EMEA

Customised options have long been a key element that differentiates Linde trucks. “That said, we are still not always happy with our response and delivery times,” says Krinninger pensively. That is going to change. “We have introduced a number of initiatives through which we can improve response times and reduce lead times.” New online systems should help to make the wide range of products more transparent and ensure that the order handling processes are more closely integrated. Additional employees will also provide a further boost. “With these measures, we hope to be able to offer a much enhanced service to our customers over the course of 2017.”

As well as the quality of the product and service, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor for customers. It is also a key sales argument. “There are formal requirements that we must fulfil. But beyond that it is my belief that we should always act with sustainability in mind, in everything we do. For our customers, employees and shareholders and for our environment. That is why corporate responsibility plays a key role in the decisions of the Linde management team,” says Krinninger.

Synergies with Dematic are an opportunity

Andreas Krinninger sees the acquisition of Dematic as a huge opportunity for Linde, as it will allow the KION brand company to move from bring a truck manufacturer to a solutions provider. And, as part of the change, he sees the potential for harnessing lots of synergies with the automation specialist. The President of the Linde MH EMEA operating unit is excited about the future: “We now have all kinds of new opportunities for creating value for our customers and for clearly differentiating ourselves in the market.”

"We want to shape this change and become a provider of complete material flow solutions"

Andreas Krinninger

President of the Linde MH EMEA

Helping to shape this change is fascinating for Krinninger. Ultimately, he wants to set the company on the right course so that it will be as relevant for its customers in ten or 15 years’ time as it is today. “In Europe, Linde has been successful in recent years and we have been able to continually improve our results. But the factors that made us successful in the past are not necessarily the same as those that will make us successful in the future,” he says. Krinninger relies on the people around him, just as he does when he’s mountain biking. But not only because of the support they provide. “A collaborative effort is simply more enjoyable!”

Gallery

Linde MH EMEA - President A. Krinninger

“We have to constantly ask what capabilities our customers require and what new products and services we need to provide.”

Image download[JPG, 0.1 MB]

Andreas Krinninger, President of the Linde MH EMEA operating unit.

Image download[JPG, 0.1 MB]

The keen mountain biker relies on the people around him, not only because of the support they provide. “A collaborative effort is simply more enjoyable!”

Image download[JPG, 0.2 MB]

“We want to shape the change and become a provider of complete material flow solutions.”

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